Growing crisis between Netherlands and Turkey

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Oscurito

There have been violent clashes overnight in Rotterdam between Dutch police and rioting Turks outside the Turkish consulate in that city following the decision by the government in The Hague to refuse to allow entry to two Turkish government ministers.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted furiously to Holland's decision preventing his foreign minister and also his family and social policies minister from entering the Netherlands in order to hold a pro-government rally with Turkish citizens calling the Dutch "Nazi remnants" and "fascists".

The origins of the crisis lie in Turkey's upcoming April referendum, when Mr Erdogan hopes to win public support for proposals that would vastly increase his powers. Ahead of the vote he has been sending his government ministers to European countries with large Turkish populations to campaign for a Yes vote.

With elections due in the Netherlands this week, the growing crisis could provide a huge boost in support for the right-wing Geert Wilders and his PVV party. Wilders has told Erdogan supporters in the Netherlands to "go to Turkey and never come back.

Erdogan has recently made "Nazi" similar comments about Germans after several German cities canceled rallies that Turkish Cabinet ministers had planned to address in support of the referendum.

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One may assume that these particular Turks are "Turkse Nederlanders" as the Dutch call them. Turkish Dutchmen, that is to say, Dutch citizens of Turkish descent and dual nationality. Trouble as they may cause, they are and remain Dutch citizens. Entitled to the same rights (and having the same obligations) as other Dutch citizens. That means they are not to be deported.

Anyway, I very much support the actions my government has taken. The Turks have no business campaigning in the Netherlands to promote Erdogan's authoritarian ambitions. The behavior of the Turkish government and its officials has been disgraceful throughout this entire affair.

Well-known member

Oscurito

One may assume that these particular Turks are "Turkse Nederlanders" as the Dutch call them. Turkish Dutchmen, that is to say, Dutch citizens of Turkish descent and dual nationality. Trouble as they may cause, they are and remain Dutch citizens. Entitled to the same rights (and having the same obligations) as other Dutch citizens. That means they are not to be deported.

Anyway, I very much support the actions my government has taken. The Turks have no business campaigning in the Netherlands to promote Erdogan's authoritarian ambitions. The behavior of the Turkish government and its officials has been disgraceful throughout this entire affair.

This is what's really putting the wind up the Dutch and German governments, in an election year that has seen them double down on their immigration lunacy, the very last spectacle they want people to see is thousands of Muslims rallying in their streets in support of an Islamist determined to unpick secular democracy and install himself as a dictator. That might prove a little too eye opening for Merkel's comfort.
The banning of these rally's by the Dutch and German's, a weak attempt to sweep an inconvenient truth out of sight, will only give succor to Erdogan's cause, enhance Muslims sense of being persecuted, and make the 'let them in' brigade look exactly like the lying, deeply in denial shills that they clearly are.
I really hope this gives Wilders a boost.